The 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro have officially started, so it is time to show how much you love your country by rooting for your team in style:
However, what if you were forced to flee your country and have no place to call home? For the first time in Olympic history, a group of 10 refugee athletes are competing on one team: Refugee Olympic Athletes Team, or, Team Refugees. By competing, these athletes are showing the world that refugees are still human beings and still need representation in international affairs. This team is gaining attention all over the world and will no doubt create important political discussions about helping refugees in the future.
For now, I personally will take a page out of Mia Farrow’s book and will do everything I can to support #TeamRefugee:
What can you do to help support refugees not only in the Olympics but in refugee camps around the world?
1. Educate yourself.
Watch the video above to educate yourself on the refugee crises happening around the world and other videos from the UN Refugee Agency to learn about the journeys the ten refugee athletes took to become Olympians.
2. Find your method of watching Team Refugees compete.
The ten athletes will compete in one of the following: judo, swimming, or track and field. You can watch these events on NBC network channels or on the NBC sports app if you have a cable subscription. The app also allows you to play events on your TV through Chromecast or Apple TV and to set up alerts on your phone to let you know when those events are live.
3. Get (or make!) Team Refugees t-shirts.
Visit the Team Refugees partner toolkit to find out how to get some supportive hats and shirts. You can also host a shirt-making party. Better yet, host a shirt-making, Olympics-watching party!
4. Get their flag.
Team Refugees will compete under the Olympic flag this year. There are affordable Olympic flags you can buy online. Afterward, embroider or write Refugee Olympic Athletes Team or Team Refugees on the flag below the rings.
5. Use this sign to show your support for the refugee team:
6. Follow Team Refugees on social media.
Team Refugees has an official Twitter, Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram. Share their posts publicly to spread the word about the various refugee crises in the world. Tweet to world leaders and politicians about the crises and ask them to help. Take pictures and video of your party and send them to @TeamRefugees.
7. Sign the refugee petition.
Team Refugee’s social media accounts have a link to a petition that will go to the UN headquarters in New York. The petition asks world leaders to “ensure every refugee child gets an education…every refugee family has somewhere safe to live…every refugee can work or learn new skills to make a positive contribution to their community.
8. Make a donation to help refugee assistance efforts.
The United Nations Refugee Agency, Save the Children, Doctors Without Borders, and UNICEF all have options on their websites for you to donate money to help support refugees. Don't have any money? Turn that Olympic shirt-making party into a fundraiser! Ask your friends to pool together some spare change and donate it. Use the party as a planning session for another refugee fundraiser in the future.
9. Reach out to refugees in your own community and offer support.
I currently teach Somali refugee women how to swim at my local community pool, and I have also worked at schools with large refugee populations. This year, I will take time to make sure that refugees and others in my community know about Team Refugees and their accomplishments at the Olympics and as human rights advocates.
10. Educate children in your life and community about refugees and how they can help.
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